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Monday, 20 August 2012

Well I've not been doing much apart from working and getting fat (ter), so today was the start of 7 weeks of walking before my holiday in the USA. I was thinking of doing the Bright Angel trail in the Grand Canyon, but looking at the ascent involved I'm having second thoughts. It's not a stupid amount of ascent and shouldn't be too hot in October but I'm chunky and hills are evil.

So last week I had a few wanders on the moors above Whitworth, Lancashire and had a nice walks around Brown Wardle and Cowm Reservoir. I didn't feel to bad apart from a midge attack that has left me itching bites for a week.

Today was mainly spent sleeping (finished work at 7am) so I fancied a shortish walk in the sun. The 5 miles along the River Great Ouse was the choice as it is easy, involves no navigation issues and is quite nice.

Pity it didn't turn out that way. After about mile the path was blocked by log/felled tree on a bridge (quite random) and then head high thistles and waist high nettles. I was in shorts so the path soon became impassable and was abandoned to walk in the field (the corn had been cut so nothing was trampled).

The next section goes between a house and the river, with the path following a narrow flat area between a fence and the drop off to the river. This was completely blocked by nettles. So I turned back and the 5 mile walk came in at just under 2. It really peed me off, if I was in trousers I might of gone for it. As it was I skulked away back to whence I came.